Barcelona Buses
If you are a visitor to Barcelona, try the Barcelona City Hop-on Hop-off Tour buses which have three different routes to explore the city. See the major sights aboard the open-top double-decker bus, and with over 44 stops to choose from you can hop on and hop off all over the city.
If you are going to be a 'regular' in Barcelona, you will find that the city is well served by a large network of urban buses.
A plan of the bus routes is usually to be found at bus stops. Many bus companies operate out of the central bus stations. Be aware that routes, prices and timetables are always subject to change.
The public transport coverage in Barcelona is good in the city and urbanised area outside, but can be quite sporadic in rural villages. Most public buses are new and, fortunately, air-conditioned.
The 'Integrated Fare System' in Barcelona makes it possible to use the different modes of transport in the same journey within the Metropolitan Region, and this extends to the limits of the local rail services. Travel Cards (multi-day passes) are available.
The three main bus companies in Barcelona are -
TMB - provides an extensive network of public transport (metro, bus, FGC and Renfe) throughout Barcelona and the suburbs.
Tickets can be booked on-line - http://www.tmb.cat/ca_ES/home.jsp
EMT - a local body formed by eighteen municipalities in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.
Sagales - run regular services in the Barcelona region. The Barcelona Bus links Barcelona with Granollers, Figueres and much of the Costa Brava. Their web site is - http://www.sagales.com.
Barcelona Car Hire
The roads in Barcelona can be quite congested and slow moving in the centre of the city, however if you are on business or have special needs, car hire may be necessary. Hiring a car is also a good idea if you are staying in a hotel that is not in the city centre and is not serviced by the metro system.
You could also consider hiring a car if you intend to travel outside of Barcelona, especially where public transport is not so frequent as in the city, and time-consuming in making connections.
There are many car hire companies in the Barcelona area or at the airport. When hiring a car from a Spanish company, you need to be aware of the conditions of hire, so here are a few hire companies that have English web sites. Some are Spanish or internationally based. - Auto Europe, AtlasChoice, Hertz, FirstCarHire, Victoria, CarHireAirport, CarHireExpress AnyCarHire.
